Brazil vs Argentina LIVE Score and Commentary, FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers

That brings us to the end of a historic night of anti-football, a night that is sure to be remembered for all the wrong reasons. I'm Aditya Hosangadi, your host for the evening, and I do wish I could say that it's been a pleasure covering these scenes. They'll make for attractive and controversial news articles, but they're not much in terms of football.

Before I bid adieu, I'd like to thank all my readers who, much like yours truly, stayed with this game hoping to see just a little bit more. The only light at the end of the tunnel? This is a one-off, and there's plenty more action to come this year! So until next time, cheers!

Right, so we have official confirmation: the match has been suspended: There are unconfirmed reports of Argentina getting the three points that were up for grabs tonight, and it remains unclear whether the game will be rescheduled.

All in all, it's fair to say that this has all been a ludicrous farce of a night. What could have been another exciting chapter in one of international football's great rivalries will now go down in history as a match that brought to the fore the ugly side of the beautiful game.

CONMEBOL Statement: "By decision of the match referee, the match organized by FIFA between Brazil and Argentina for the World Cup Qualifiers is suspended."
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) September 5, 2021

❌ Brazil vs Argentina has been abandoned after health officials stormed the pitch to detain Argentina players who had failed to quarantine.

Brazil are now having an open training session instead.

You could not make this up.pic.twitter.com/ssGWrs8JAb
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) September 5, 2021

What Lionel Messi said to health authorities as Brazil v Argentina is suspended

Brazil are now holding a training session, and there is a fair share of entertainment here. Of course it's entertaining, it's Brazil! But make no mistake - it's mere trivia in comparison to what has transpired here in Sao Paulo today.

Brazil-Argentina: CONEMBOL says referee and match delegate will now submit a report to FIFA's disciplinary committee https://t.co/nMiMzzGwD6
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) September 5, 2021

Por decisión del árbitro del partido, el encuentro organizado por FIFA entre Brasil y Argentina por las Eliminatorias para la Copa del Mundo queda suspendido.
— CONMEBOL.com (@CONMEBOL) September 5, 2021

Ooohhh.. Brazil players back out on the pitch... maybe it's just a kickabout bc they're bored... maybe Argentina to follow... who knows? Anything can happen!
— Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) September 5, 2021

Argentina's players are nowhere to be seen at the moment, but the Brazilians still have their jerseys on. There have been unconfirmed reports and rumours that transport has been arranged to take Argentina away from the stadium.

Neymar, meanwhile, is just being himself, and it's incredibly refreshing to watch amidst all this madness. Some nifty Samba skills on show, and the crowd is more than happy to indulge.

Video of World Cup qualifier being stopped in Brazil over English-based Argentina players’ quarantine status with health officials going on the pitch pic.twitter.com/vKFvcdIycG
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) September 5, 2021

The players are now swapping shirts. Either the game is abandoned or some of the Brazil subs will be taking the empty spots in the Argentina side.
— Kris Voakes (@krisvoakes) September 5, 2021

Shirt-swapping is now underway between the two sets of players, and that may well signal the end of this piece of riveting drama. Nothing official yet, but don't get your hopes up.

Lionel Messi to Brazilian health officials: "It's an embarrassment. We have been in Brazil for 3 days and nothing happened."
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) September 5, 2021

The match has only been suspended at the moment - not abandoned. That is what all the official statements say. What that does mean, in effect, is that we don't have any confirmation as yet. Terribly unlikely that we'll see any more of this game, but my fingers are crossed!

An unfortunate end to a decidedly controversial game.

You won't find a sane soul arguing with the importance of public health, but Argentina's football team has been in Brazil for well over three days. The regulation is by no means controversial, but the decision to act on it five minutes into a game of football will raise a few eyebrows.

OFFICIAL:

The match has been suspended for Argentina's failure to follow public health regulations.

Breaking: Brazil vs Argentina stopped after police enter pitch due to breached COVID-19 protocols

This could take a while. Both camps seem adamant about their case, and there's no resolution in sight at the moment. And the situation is further amplified by the fact that this, right here, is Brazil vs Argentina. South America's biggest game. And right now, it's at the centre of a regulatory circus!

Three of Argentina's starting XI could be hauled away from the pitch at this point. You don't see Lionel Messi riled up too often, particularly outside of a football match. Well, here he is, in all his glory! Visibly upset with a Brazilian official, and a representative from Argentina's camp now takes over.

Dani Alves and Lionel Messi are now on the pitch, and the nature of their discussion should be fairly obvious. Messi has now gone over to have a chat with Neymar and the match referee - they all have wry smiles on their faces. What happens now?

Surreal scenes in Sao Paulo. I have a good 40 years of football-watching ahead of me (I hope), and I don't think I'm ever going to see something like this again.

Regulatory obligations notwithstanding, this extraordinary situation does beg the question: Why did Brazil allow the game to go ahead in the first place? The Selecao are not particularly thrilled with proceedings either, they clearly want to see out this game.

ICYMI. Brazil v Argentina is wild. Game stopped after 10 mins bc a bunch of health officials and cops came on to pitch and, according to commentator, are detaining the 4 PL based Argentina players (Martinez, Buendia, Romero and Lo Celso) for not quarantining.
— Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) September 5, 2021

Brazilian health authorities are now on the pitch, possibly following up on their threats to deport Argentina's four Premier League players from the country. Explosive scenes as the players are seemingly furious with the stoppage.

The game has officially been put on pause.

Okay, it's now been confirmed, and it's quite incredible that it's happening on a football pitch.

A friendly little reminder - Brazil's public health officials threatened four players with deportation prior to this game. This is, of course, speculation at this point, but this could potentially be a related incident.

7' Absolute mayhem on the pitch now, as both camps are involved in a lengthy verbal altercation! The off-field officials seem to be heavily involved, and I know just about as much as you do regarding why this is happening.

Three fouls in five minutes - that's a Brazil-Argentina clash for you! The game's been fairly stop-start so far.

5' Romero in the thick of it yet again as he stops Neymar in his tracks. The PSG star retaliates with a shove, and the free-kick is in Argentina's favour this time.

4' Tensions flare yet again as Argentina steal the ball in a dangerous area. Cristian Romero's tackle wasn't particularly legal, however, and Brazil are furious with the Spurs man for that challenge. Free-kick for the Selecao.

1' Fifteen seconds in, and we already have a foul in Sao Paulo. Gerson nips at Lo Celso's heels and gets a verbal caution from the referee.

KICK-OFF!
Argentina get things underway, attacking from left to right.

There has already been plenty of tense drama between the two teams off the pitch, with plenty of legalese and threatening discourse doing the rounds. If that translates into aggression on the football field, I wouldn't be too surprised. Going by that Copa America final, these two sets of players don't really need an excuse to have a go at each other.

Brazil and Argentina are the only two unbeaten teams in CONMEBOL leg of the qualification campaign at the moment. Will that change tonight? We'll know in an hour and a half.

Right, so here we are with the anthems! The two teams have lined up on the pitch, and we should be in for an absolute cracker of a game tonight.

Franco Armani, Nahuel Molina, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Domínguez, Emiliano Buendía and Julián Alvarez do not make the Argentina bench.
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) September 5, 2021

In other news - it's fairly insane that this has to be "other" news at the moment - Lionel Messi and Neymar are both starting for their respective teams. Argentina have arguably named their strongest side, and their double pivot should serve as the perfect foil for a star-studded attack.

The official Brazil vs Argentina teamsheet.

Martinez, Lo Celso and Romero all start after an intervention from CONMEBOL. pic.twitter.com/USzhd0HTv0
— Sam Street (@samstreetwrites) September 5, 2021

Brazilian health authorities have reportedly taken exception to the Premier League names on Argentina's teamsheet, and are demanding the deportation - yes, DEPORTATION - of Emiliano Martinez, Giovani Lo Celso, and Cristian Romero. Three crucial names, and they're all set to start for Scaloni's Argentina in an hour's time.

Argentina Official XI (4-2-3-1):
Emiliano Martinez; Nicolas Otamendi, Cristian Romero, Marcos Acuna, Gonzalo Montiel; Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes; Giovani Lo Celso, Angel Di Maria, Lionel Messi; Lautaro Martinez

Brazil Official XI (4-3-3):
Weverton; Danilo, Eder Militao, Lucas Verissimo, Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta, Gerson; Everton Ribeiro, Gabriel Barbosa, Neymar,

Right, so after a fair bit of drama involving the CONMEBOL and the Premier League, the line-ups are finally here!

When Brazil and Argentina are involved, it's only natural that the narrative surrounding the game will focus on Messi and Neymar. The two modern-day giants of the game have been reunited at PSG, but will first have to get the better of each other in their nations' colours.

Both players are nearing a few landmarks on the international stage, so here are a few statistics before what is set to be an enthralling encounter:

Brazil vs Argentina Head-to-Head stats and numbers you need to know before their FIFA World Cup qualifier

Right, so we're less than four hours away from kick-off, and there is a bit of time left for arguably the biggest game of this international break. While we wait with bated breath, here's our preview of the match to keep you company:

Brazil vs Argentina prediction, preview, team news and more | 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

The player release situation gets messier. Four Premier League players on Argentina squad didn’t tell immigration officials in Brazil they had been in England during previous 14 days, a country from where arrivals are required to quarantine https://t.co/X9Mx0hIDLM
— tariq panja (@tariqpanja) September 5, 2021

Brazil vs Argentina LIVE Score and Commentary, FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers

2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Brazil Football vs Argentina Football Live Score